Insanity
by Slovenja
Summary: I knew as soon as I stepped off the platform that I had the upper hand that no-one else had. No-one thought of this, the Careers couldn't train for it. I had a chance of actually winning.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my version of the 73rd Hunger Games. Enjoy:)**

Everybody groaned when I walked up the stage.

I groaned as well.

Out of everybody in District 12, I was probably the least capable of them all to compete in the Hunger Games. I had no survival skills whatsoever, I was weak, caring, I hated blood, and about as unlovable as a thousand mosquitoes who had taken refuge in your bed.

As well as groaning, everybody whispered too;

"She'll be dead in the first hour"

"No way is she going to get any sponsors"

"I can't stand this"

" At least she'll die of her own stupidity so we won't watch her get brutally murdered"

The last one stung. I prided myself on my intelligence and to hear it squished was painful.

" When she comes out the other end she'll be as madder than Haymitch!" exclaimed Old Joe

Ahh, old Joe. He always knew when a tribute would come out the other end 90% of the time, from any district. Unfortunately this year was the other 10%.

His friend replied; "She already gets hallucinations, how could it get any worse?"

* * *

I'm in a daze as they pronounce the male tribute- Yale Greenwell.

He's seventeen years old, the butchers son. He could easily crush me with one hand with his muscled arms. I'm from The Seam, so I have absolutely no chance against him. My bad luck just keeps coming doesn't it? He pays no attention to me, and I can see he is looking for his girl in the crowd. At least he has a chance of coming home to her.

I could faintly see my mother crying as the anthem played, but something else in the crowd distracted me. Mella was running towards me, on the stage, reaching to claw my eyes ou-

No. She is being restrained by Peacekeepers. She is yelling that I am mentally insecure and that it is immoral to enter me as a the mutts in the Capitol care! They take her away, but in my mind she attacks Old Joe with a knife.

Stab.

Stab.

Stab.

Blood.

Guts.

Heart-wrenching screams.

More blood.

More guts.

Stab.

Stab.

Before we know it we are being carted away to say good bye to our family. None of them had any significant advice to give me as we all knew I would have no chance of winning at all.

"Honey,' my mum said grasping my arm ' You'll be fine. Just find water and shelter and then go from there." She started tearing up and couldn't say anything more until they drag her away

"I love yo-"

The door slammed.

For the first time since I got selected, sadness overwhelmed me, engulfed me and I didn't know what I was going to do. I realised that I actually cared whether I came out alive or not, no matter how crappy my life was. I also realised that being in my usual daze would do me no good.

Then I saw him and suddenly everything became sharper.

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	2. Chapter 2

_Back at home, every summer I would pick pumpkins, just outside the electric fence. For some reason, these pumpkins were seen by no-one else. I went to show Katniss the spot once, and it would disappear completely, but when I came back 5 minutes later, alone, it would be the same as it always was. It was a huge field of massive, delicious pumpkins. Usually I would only pick two a year to sustain its population, keeping one for my family and give the other away to the bakery. In return for this, Peeta Mellark would give me a portion of what he made out of it- lovely pumpkin loaves with the seeds sprinkled on top._

_There must of been hundreds of pumpkins, so one day I collected more. Greasy Sae made a wonderful hot stew out of it, which I occasionally gave away to others in the Seam if my family wasn't starving. Which wasn't that often._

_Peeta was in front of me;_

_"Snap out of it Nicola! Come back!"_

_"Wake up! Come on!" Now it was Haymitch in front of me, persuading me to get up._

I stood up off the floor, stretching my stiff muscles as the train sped by.

"About time" Haymitch muttered sarcastically.

I ignored his sarcasm, "How long have I been out?"

"Almost 2 hours" Yale replied.

Woah. But it's not the record.

"Dinners up." We started to follow Haymitch, winding through the luxurious corridors of the train.

"Already?" I asked Yale.

"You were out for a long time"

Rich delicacies covered the dining table, food that would last my family a whole week, let alone one meal. I started loading as much food as I could from every dish. I couldn't help myself so I started eating savagely, grasping the food in my hands,and piling the food into my open mouth . The table was a dark oak, polished to perfection, the carpet purple velvet, the walls a fabric I had never before seen in my life. The luxury of the train made my feel depressed.

"Where's Effie?" Yale asked whilst slowly eating a rich looking potato salad.

No-one replied. Haymitch picked at a piece of steak. Dessert arrived and I stuffed my mouth with another foreign food. This one looked like some sort of pie.

"What do they call this Yale?" I asked.

"It is an apple pie." He said, bored.

In amazement, I looked at the pie. I've only ever seen apples, never eaten them. The taste was glorious as it melted in my mouth.

* * *

Everybody sat back after the meal and looked at each other.

"We should talk tactics."

"Since when did you care Haymitch? You never help tributes!"

"Since your Aunt Wilma threatened to ration my alcohol supply if I didn't properly help my 'darling niece Nicola.' God she is so sappy"

Yale burst out laughing, and slowly so did I, and Haymitch started to join in. It was nice having a good laugh in such a serious situation. The clouds of desperation that once hovered over the dinner table started to lift. I felt free of any worries, even as we began to talk tactics.

"Nicola, you can't leave again, otherwise you have no chance of winning! I can't spend all the money getting you pills, you and Yale need it for other stuff as well!" Haymitch exclaimed angrily.

"What can you do, what can you do that can keep you alive? Yale, apart from identifying edible animals, you cant do anything! Nicola, you don't have a skill at all!"

"I know."

Suddenly Effie walked in, her skin coloured a blinding yellow. Her perfume was so strong and smelt like roasting snails. Trust me-I had to eat them once whilst my family was starving. It was not is all the rage, I assume.

Haymitch had a devious glint in his eyes. He was going to do something bad,

"Hey guys, what's that smell. It is really putrid. Can you smell it guys?" Haymitch said.

" It seems to be coming from over near you Effie." Yale said, playing along with the game "Can you smell it?"

Silence followed as we waited for her reply. "The only thing I can smell is my perfume".

Realising our joke, Effie left the room with her head held so high you thought she might be observing the velvet on the ceiling.

We laughed so hard we thought we would burst for a very, very long time.

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